Synthesis gas is a mixture of gases including varying amounts of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Synthesis gas may be used, for example, as an intermediate in the production of synthetic natural gas, synthetic petroleum, ammonia and methanol. Synthesis gas may be produced by carbon dioxide reforming reactions of hydrocarbons, particularly light hydrocarbons such as methane.
Synthesis gas may be produced by carbon dioxide reforming of methane according to the following reaction:CH4+CO2=2CO+2H2 247 kJ·mol−1 
This reaction is highly endothermic and generally requires temperatures in the range of 600 to 1100° to drive the reaction forward. Reforming catalysts such as Ni/Al2O3, Ni/MgO/Al2O3 and the like may be used to catalyze the reaction. Reforming catalysts used in the above reaction are generally Group VIII metals held on various supports.
Problems with known reforming catalysts include severe and rapid deactivation as a result of coking, or carbon deposition on the catalyst. Often, known catalysts are expensive to produce (e.g. some noble metal catalysts) and/or have low selectivity for target products such as hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Carbon dioxide reforming of methane to produce synthesis gas has therefore yet to be established on a commercial scale.
It is desirable to provide a stable, inexpensive reforming catalyst with high catalytic activity and high selectivity for products such as hydrogen and carbon monoxide.